Jose Mourinho will face the biggest test of his second stint as Real Madrid tomorrow when his team faces off against Atletico Madrid in the Madrileno derby at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.

Los Blancos go into the match on the back of a hard-fought 3-2 win over Elche, making it six in seven for the season across all competitions.

However, Atletico, after a stuttering start, seem to have found their footing and have picked up two convincing victories over Real Sociedad and Osasuna in their last two fixtures.

As such, it will be a daunting challenge for Mourinho & co., even more so considering that Real Madrid have not fared very well away at the Metropolitano in recent years.

Mourinho on facing Atletico Madrid

That was one of the questions Mourinho was asked during his press conference today, with the Portuguese tactician playing down any concerns about Real Madrid’s recent ordinary record at their local rivals’ home.

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to get the team to perform at 100%, but that’s my intention and the intention of my players. But I don’t know if I’ll succeed. We’ve played a lot of matches in a row, but we’ve managed to correct some things; it’s a process,” he said.

“If there are clubs that train for three, four, or five days straight… if everyone’s always talking about improvement, imagine us, who in these few months have already played seven or eight official matches.

“We have to improve. But we also have to get results. And we’re working on it. We have a lot of confidence, but we also know we have to keep working.”

On what the Madrid derby means to him, Mourinho replied: “A derby always has something more. Derbies are history, culture, the passion of the fans, players, coaches… of some who quickly understand what it means. But then, it’s a three-point game.” 

When asked about his thoughts on Atleti’s squad and how it stacked up in comparison to his Real Madrid roster, Mourinho said:

“I don’t want to compare squads. Don’t ask me to compare Oblak and Courtois. What I’m saying is: a strong squad, with many options, a great coach, someone who chooses players he likes, players who embody his style, his DNA.

“Many years of work. It’s a team I look at and believe will be there, fighting for the championship at the end.”

Talking about his opposite number, Diego Simeone, Mourinho dismissed his past comments against the Argentine tactician’s failure to win a Champions League trophy, stating that much was said in the heat of the battle.

“So much nonsense is said in a race… if you’re behind, there isn’t one of us who isn’t talking nonsense. Or things influenced by the moment… or strategically,” he said.

“They called me to speak in Simeone’s documentary and I didn’t hesitate for a minute. We’re rivals, but we’re comrades in arms.”

Mourinho on his team and performances so far

The Real Madrid manager was then asked if tomorrow’s game would be particularly important for Vinicius Jr., who has not been at his best so far this season.

But Mourinho downplayed that notion, instead stating that the match was important for each player.

“For everyone. I don’t know… maybe those who have been at Real Madrid longer and have lived through that negative history feel something more. But I don’t think so,” he said.

“I think we’re all in this together, aware of the difficulty of the match and what I said before: this is part of the city’s culture. But the match is equally important for everyone.”

Providing an update on the condition of Aurelien Tchouameni and his thoughts on the Frenchman being left out of the national team squad, Mourinho explained:

“I had no influence whatsoever on the decision for him not to go. Zidane and I haven’t spoken. It took me by surprise. But they’ve talked and concluded that the best thing for him is to have time to complete the preseason he hasn’t had.

“The coach has told him he’s counting on him for the future, and they’ve agreed to this, which, for us, is a privilege. Because after the derby, he’ll have his days off and will be able to come back stronger.”

Mourinho has now been back at Real Madrid for over three months now, and when asked to grade the first 100 days of his second stint with the club, he said:

“My assessment is that I gave my absolute best. And I think my case isn’t just about training and playing, but about having an influence on the development of a club’s football.

“It’s not just about training, making changes… I don’t give myself a grade; I don’t think it’s perfect or negative, but the grade I give myself is that I gave my absolute best. My absolute best. And that’s how I’m going to leave it.”

On Barcelona, El Clasico, and international break

When asked if he was worried about the level being shown by Barcelona, who have won seven in seven this season in all competitions, and already scored more than 30 goals, Mourinho chose to focus on his own team instead.

“Historically and culturally, Real Madrid cannot be compared to anyone. And for this reason, I’m not going to compare myself to anyone. I talk about us, and I do so without hesitation, about our problems, about what needs improvement,” he said.

The Portuguese tactician acknowledged that the team still has some chinks that need to be ironed out, but also praised the players’ commitment and attitude to come back from difficult situations like the one against Elche.

“Even though it’s increasingly difficult to hear anything positive about Real Madrid. But we continue our work with humility. Without any problem being aware of our problems. But also aware of the very good things we have in the team,” he said.

“In the three matches where we reached the final minutes needing to score to win or draw, we finished with physical and psychological strength, commitment, and determination….”

“It’s not normal to be 2-0 up against Elche and then concede an equalizer in the 80th minute. But it’s also not normal to concede an equalizer in the 80th minute and then, in a few minutes, the team changes, has one chance after another… and scores and wins.

“Just as it’s not normal to be losing against Betis and have the heart that if we score Espí’s incredible goal… and miss the penalty… and still have the strength for more.

“This team, besides having quality, possesses a strength with profound meaning: the strength of a group. And this gives me confidence. This is a marathon, not a highway.”

When asked if he preferred to play the derby against Atletico Madrid or the Clasico against Barcelona at this stage of his career, Mourinho replied:

“It motivates me every day. I understand you say that respectfully, but when you say ‘at this point in my career,’ from day one until now, it’s always going to be the same. It’s not like the years change who I am.

“I’m just as motivated by the next match against Villarreal as I am by a Clasico or a derby. In terms of motivation, it makes absolutely no difference to me. As I said before, Clasicos, derbies… they’re part of the culture.

“They’re part of history. And that’s why they have something extra. But when you talk about motivation… ugh… motivation is every single day.”

Expressing his displeasure over the new three-week international break format, Mourinho said:

“Nobody likes it? But what can we do? We’ll be down to four players for 20 days. Four players. Then the others will arrive… some three days before the Villarreal match… or two… the Brazilians are coming from India.

“The European players have four tough matches. And plenty more. In my case, it’s tough, because then come Villarreal and Roma, one after the other. But that just goes to show we’ve got good players.”

The manager also commented on the refereeing in La Liga, with regard to some of the dodgy calls that have gone against his team so far this season, saying:

“It’s too late now. Because after that match, we’ve had another one. And in this one, there were more questions you could have asked me. For example, a very clear and obvious one: what do I think about Elche finishing the match with eleven players?

“But if we go down that road… we’ll end up talking about tomorrow, and I’d rather say that, although it’s a bit strange that we already knew who tomorrow’s referee would be a week ago, I’d rather say that if he’s been appointed, it’s because he’s a good referee.

“He has enough experience for a match of this emotional magnitude. I don’t like to talk about referees before the match. We’ll see afterwards. But for now… he has my full confidence.”

Source: AS